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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. hand — help
  8. rock — music
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. hand — in cards
  13. stem — to come from
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. object — to protest
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wake — a trail
  23. march — the month
  24. leaves — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com